MSSTA: Active and Responsible Democratic Citizenship

Event is FULL - Currently not accepting registrations

MSSTA - Manitoba Social Science Teachers' Association

Conference Title: Active and Responsible Democratic Citizenship

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

Time: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm

Registration Deadline: October 24, 2025 at 9:00 am

MSSTA's Fall 2025 PD Day is dedicated to the theme of citizenship and democracy. These foundational elements of social studies education are increasingly under threat as they continue to be challenged and undermined by political, economic, environmental, technological, and social changes.

Citizenship education is a core component of the provincial K-12 social studies curriculum. Given our current context, it is imperative that we provide opportunities for our students to engage meaningfully with these concepts–citizenship and democracy–so they are better prepared to recognize and engage with them outside of the classroom. Creating this space, however, requires that we consider how we navigate complex conversations around democracy, enact democratic practices in our own classrooms, and encourage students to interrogate what it means to be a “good” citizen. Further, how can we support students in examining democracy and citizenship thoughtfully and critically?

We recognize that many teachers may be grappling with how to approach these conversations and negotiate the tensions inherent in this essential work, particularly against the backdrop of rising polarization. Our hope is that this PD offers space for educators to deepen their understanding of these complex challenges, share their uncertainties and insecurities, and spend time refl ecting alongside their peers.

MSSTA is thrilled to welcome Carol Off as our keynote speaker for this year’s PD Day. Carol is a multi-award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster. As a veteran CBC journalist and longtime host of As It Happens, Carol has spent her career reporting on the very forces shaping and challenging democracy and citizenship today.

- Program -
08:00 am - 09:00 am - Registration, Check-In, Displayers
09:00 am - 09:15 am - Welcome/Introductions
09:15 am - 10:00 am - Keynote
10:00 am - 10:15 am - Keynote Q&A
10:15 am - 10:45 am - Displayers/Coffee
10:45 am - 11:40 am - Concurrent Session #1
11:40 am - 12:40 pm - Lunch (provided)
12:40 pm - 01:35 pm - Concurrent Session #2
01:35 pm - 01:55 pm - Displayers/Coffee
01:55 pm - 02:50 pm - Concurrent Session #3
03:00 pm - 03:30 pm - AGM & Prizes

- Conference and Membership Fees -
MSSTA Full Day Conference & Membership Fee ...... $85 until Sep 30 / .... $110 as of Oct 1
MSSTA Half Day Conference & Membership Fee ..... $70 until Sep 30 / .... $95 as of Oct 1
MSSTA Full Day Non-Member Conference Fee ........ $100 until Sep 30 / .... $125 as of Oct 1
MSSTA Half Day Non-Member Conference Fee ....... $85 until Sep 30 / .... $110 as of Oct 1
MSSTA Student Conference & Membership Fee ..... $20
MSSTA Other Conference & Membership Fee ......... $20 (includes MSSTA Executive Members, Presenters, and preapproved volunteers)
MSSTA Membership Fee ............................................. $20

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations with refunds will be issued, less PayPal fees until October 19, 2025.

If you require any additional information about this conference, please contact Angie Waite at msstaconference@gmail.com.

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Sessions - 9:15 AM-10:15 AM

FULL - Keynote: Carol Off

Carol Off is a Canadian journalist, author, and broadcaster. For 16 years, she co-hosted CBC Radio’s flagship current affairs program, As It Happens, a multi-award winning radio program, where she amused and enlightened supper-hour listeners in Canada and much of the United States with her unique style of feisty, witty, and compassionate interviews. Over her career, she has travelled extensively, covering various events for the CBC.

As a radio journalist in the 1980s, she reported on national politics in Québec and on Parliament Hill. As a correspondent for CBC TV’s The National, she covered events around the world including the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, the war in Afghanistan, the election of Vladimir Putin, war crimes trials in The Hague, and Canadian peacekeeping missions.

Alongside her work in broadcasting, Carol has authored multiple best-selling books about Canada’s role in the world. These include At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage; The Ghosts of Medak Pocket: The Story of Canada’s Secret War; The Lion, The Fox, and the Eagle: A Story of Generals and Justice in Yugoslavia and Rwanda; and All We Leave Behind: A Reporter’s Journey into the Lives of Others.

Carol’s important contributions have been recognized and honoured with numerous awards. In addition to receiving a Gemini and a Gabriel Award, among others, Carol was the recipient of both an ACTRA’s John Drainie Award for Distinguished Contribution to Canadian Broadcasting and an RTNDA Lifetime Achievement Award.

In her keynote address, Carol will draw on her decades of award-winning journalism to explore how stories of confl ict, justice, and human rights can deepen our understanding of democracy. She will challenge social studies teachers to inspire active, responsible citizenship by connecting global events to students’ lives and voices.

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

Sessions - 10:45 AM-11:40 AM

FULL - 1-01: Library of Parliament Education Resources and the Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy

Learn about the Education Resources available from the Library of Parliament and applications in the classroom. Also learn about the Teacher's Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy (the best PD you will ever have!), and how to apply. This session is being presented by a former Teacher Advisory Committee member from Manitoba for the Teacher's Institute.

Presenter: Katherine Abra, Teacher, Winnipeg School Division

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-02: Teaching Resources - The Azrieli Foundation’s Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program

In this session, we will walk through the Azrieli Foundation’s interactive resources and educational material, with a focus on The First Step, a guide that can help teachers best prepare themselves prior to teaching about the Holocaust. The First Step helps teachers create a working definition of the Holocaust, a clear rationale statement, find credible sources for information gathering, and build a sense of best practices (the "Do’s and Don’ts") in Holocaust education. We will also present Re:Collection, an educational tool for exploring the history of the Holocaust through firsthand accounts of survivors. This innovative digital resource combines video interviews with memoir excerpts, photos, and artifacts, and features interactive timelines and maps to place survivors’ stories in historical and geographic context.

Presenters: Mark Weissfelner & Emily Dychtenberg, Azrieli Foundation - Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-03: Protecting Democracy Through Story

This session will look at Carol Matas’s new book, A Storm Unleashed, which tells the story of the rise of Hitler in Nazi Germany through the eyes of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in Berlin. We will explore how the book can be used as a pedagogical resource in connecting the importance of democracy and citizenship in grade 6. The second part of the session will go through how to use this resource and make connections to the new Manitoba Holocaust Education Resource Guide.

Presenters: Kelly Hiebert, Teacher, SJASD; Carol Matas, Author

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-04: Ideas into Environmental Action: Caring for Our Watersheds

Caring for Our Watersheds is a provincial program for Grade 7-12 students. In response to the question: “What can you do to improve your watershed?,” students learn about their watershed and local community, then research and develop a solution to an issue. Students can then submit their proposed solutions to the Caring for Our Watersheds contest.

The deadline for submissions is March. Those selected as numbers of the top 10 will go on to present their ideas in-person to a panel of community judges in April at the newly renovated Harry J. Enns Wetland Discovery Centre at Oak Hammock Marsh. Winning proposals and their schools receive a monetary prize, in addition to fi nancial support to implement the proposed idea.

We love to make proposals become reality. This has included tree planting, native plant gardens, mending workshops, waterbody clean-ups, land-based learning workshops, and more. Attend the session to learn more about the program.

Presenter: Kandra Forbes, Environmental Educator, Oak Hammock Marsh

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-05: Can a Socialist One-Party State Like Cuba be Considered Democratic?

Cuba is a socialist country that calls itself democratic. It is an interesting country to study due to its combination of very advanced levels of education and healthcare for two, and its poor economy due in large part to the 64-year U.S. blockade/embargo, the longest one in modern history. Join our session to learn more.

Presenters: Diane Zack, Teacher, WSD; Owen Schalk, Researcher & Author

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-06: Learning Through Place

The premise of place-based education is that, through learning in, with, and for places, teachers can bring the curriculum to life and increase student engagement through authentic learning experiences. This session will share an example of how a senior years teacher framed a semester-long focus on place through the social studies curriculum, concluding in a public exhibition of learning.

Presenters: Will Burton, University of Winnipeg; Sarah Reilly, Teacher, SOSD

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-07: The Impacts of Hydropower: A Manitoba Case Study

Ellen Cook will present on the historical and present impact of hydroelectric power in Northern Manitoba, and Derek Eidse will guide participants through a 1-2 week-long interdisciplinary unit of study he's developed in collaboration with Ellen and the Interfaith Council on Hydropower.

Presenters: Derek Eidse,Teacher University of Winnipeg Collegiate; Ellen Cook, Elder & Former Teacher

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-08: How the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Overrides Democracy

The session will look at how NATO, one of the most significant organizations of our time, operates above national interests and boundaries with no meaningful oversight from member countries. It will also explain how these decisions have profound effects on Canadians with no input from them.

Presenter: Glenn Michalchuk, Peace Alliance Winnipeg

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-09: How Misinformation Threatened the Fight to End the Polio Epidemics of the 1950s

Using my award-winning novel, Second Chances, I show that the issues about vaccines and conspiracy theories during the polio epidemics were the same as during the Covid pandemic. I will also explore how it relates to the expropriation of the Métis community of Rooster Town in Winnipeg in the 1950s.

Presenter: Harriet Zaidman, Author & Retired Teacher

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-10: Climate Action Improv: Finding Your North Star in Climate Action

Climate Change will not be addressed by a select few caring for the Earth. We need to engage all of our students in this critical work by embracing new ways of knowing, being, and doing through hopeful Collaborative Community Actions. Come be inspired through movement, improv, and purposeful discussions on how to get started with climate action pedagogies in K-12 that will “grow the good” for a more beautiful world.

Presenters: Heather Eckton, PhD Candidate, University of Manitoba; Laine Rosner, SOSD

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-11: Structured Reading Approaches for Political Speeches to Support Critical Literacy and Higher-Order Thinking

In this session, I will review how to construct structured reading approaches to support students in reading and analyzing Hansards in ways that promote comprehension, higher-order thinking and critical literacy, and cross-curricular literacy education in social studies education. The process of examining Hansards highlights the role of debates in the democratic process and the importance of dialogue and deliberation to citizenship and democracy more broadly.

Presenter: Farra Yasin, Assistant Professor, University of Winnipeg, Faculty of Education

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-12: The Justice Hunter

The session will feature a screening of the documentary The Justice Hunter, followed by a discussion on the pressing human rights issues explored in the film. The Justice Hunter highlights the remarkable work of David Matas in defending refugees, exposing the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, and combating antisemitism. The film also serves as a call to action, inspiring viewers to engage in the ongoing fight for human rights. The documentary was produced by Yolanda Papini-Pollock, with Dr. Maria Cheung serving as a consultant.

Presenters: Yolanda Papini-Pollock, Former teacher, SOSD; Dr. Maria Cheung, University of Manitoba, Professor Emerita

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-13: Socratic Seminar: A Vehicle to Develop Dialogue, Discourse, and Deliberation

Students regularly face issues related to comments online, the rise of polarization, and the growing propensity of individuals being quick to judge “the other”. Socratic seminars teach students to think critically, respond to the ideas instead of attacking the person, and find power and growth through hearing how others think and view the world.

In this session, educators will learn how to create and run a Socratic Seminar, as well as how seminars help to develop dialogue, discourse, and deliberation.

Presenter: Rob Schrofel, Teacher, SOSD

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-14: Enhancing Civics through Humanitarian Education

Help your students think critically about the wars they are witnessing around the world. Armed conflicts around the world continue to draw the attention of many concerned Canadians. Without the tools or outlets for proper reflection, many of us, students included, feel somewhat ineffective and despondent. Tackling global issues through the lens of Humanitarian Education and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) can help students understand states’ responsibilities to protect civilians in times of armed conflict.

Presenter: Karyn Stone, Humanitarian Education Specialist, Canadian Red Cross

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-15: Model Parliament in the Classroom

Model Parliament is a hands-on learning activity aimed at increasing student understanding of our democratic system of governance. This session will explain how to organize and run a Model Parliament session within the social studies classroom, providing teachers with the information needed to set up and run their own model Parliament sessions with their students.

Presenter: Michael Zwaagstra, Vice Principal, Hanover School Division

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 1-16: The Art of Controversy - Classroom Practices that Build Perspective-Getting Mindsets

Our session begins with theory from philosophy and psychology on how we engage in dispute. By canvassing different dialectic approaches we differentiate between forms of dialogue citizens can engage in. We will argue for the benefits of perspective-giving skills in society and provide practical classroom examples for perspective-giving, focusing on pedagogies that strengthen and develop communication, problem solving, relating, critical thinking, and perspective-taking/giving skills.

Presenters: Heather Krepski, University of Winnipeg; Mike Link University of Winnipeg

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

Sessions - 12:40 PM-1:35 PM

FULL - 2-01: Democracy Fun & Games

This session provides an orientation to various learning activities and tools related to an array of curriculum topics. Discover games to learn about over 100 biases, thought distortions, and other mind games; media literacy and peace journalism resources; the Climate and Economy Dialogue Guide; and more. You will also be introduced to the Former MLA Democracy Initiative which is an opportunity for youth and teachers to engage in dialogue about the health of our democracy, understand threats to democracy, and map out ideas to strengthen democracy in Manitoba. The Association Former Manitoba MLAs is an all party, non-partisan organization with a mandate to uphold and strengthen democracy.

Presenter: Marianne Cerilli, Change Agent

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-02: Canadian Shield: Empowering Manitoba K-12 Teachers to Prevent Extremism & Violence in Schools

This session presents findings from “Canadian Shield,” a Manitoba-based project equipping K–12 teachers to counter extremism and violence in schools. It combines research insights, workshop outcomes, and a live demo of a teacher support app, offering participants practical tools and strategies to foster classroom resilience and early intervention.

Presenters: Dr. Kawser Ahmed, Adjunct Professor, University of Winnipeg; Linda Mlodzinski, Retired Educator

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-03: Empowering Youth to InterAct

Our world is changing! MCIC envisions a just world. Our educational activities aim to inspire action with the next generation of global citizens. This session will feature a NEW classroom activity which equips students with the skills and knowledge they need to take meaningful action for a more sustainable and just world. Rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and aligned with the Manitoba curriculum, our variety of hands-on activities build students’ skills in communication, critical thinking, and collaboration, empowering them to engage with global issues and take action in their communities..

Presenter: Bea Basaran, Education Specialist, MCIC

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-04: Conservation in the Classroom

This session explores how Manitoba teachers engage students in environmental inquiry. We’ll highlight local classroom examples and focus on the CPAWS Student Voices campaign, which gathers student perspectives on the importance of protecting land and water through curriculum-linked content on Indigenous-led conservation.

Presenter: Carly Gray, Environmental Educator, CPAWS Manitoba

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-05: The Power of Questions: Exploring Community through Inquiry-Based Learning

Meaningful learning begins with curiosity, student voice, and authentic engagement. Inquiry-based learning brings these elements together in powerful ways. This session offers practical strategies to engage students in developing questions to guide exploration and deepen their understanding of community, citizenship, and identity. While geared toward elementary educators, the ideas shared are easily adaptable across grade levels.

Presenter: Angie Waite, Teacher, LRSD, and President of MSSTA

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-06: You are the Economy: Engaging in Citizenship through Economic Concepts

At this workshop you will try out new activities and lesson plans from the Bank of Canada Museum for Grades 7-12. You’ll take part in economic and financial decision making activities, responsible investing, explore contemporary and historical questions, connect Canadian industries, and more. All participants will receive the full resource.

Presenter: Adam Young, Museum Educator, Bank of Canada Museum

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-07: Democracy Under Attack – Winnipeg General Strike of 1919

Using my novel, City on Strike, I will show how government and business used racism and disinformation to sow disunity between strikers and subvert the struggle for better wages, working conditions, and civil rights. Children should be aware that manipulative activities are still used, and that democracy is threatened without vigilance.

Presenter: Harriet Zaidman, Author & Retired Teacher

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-08: Hosting a Citizenship Ceremony and Teaching about Immigration

In this session I share my experience of hosting a citizenship ceremony to provide students with a better understanding of immigration into Canada. Students learn about the three types of immigration (independent, family and refugee), what the government does to help newcomers get settled, and the steps they have to go through to become Canadian citizens. The culmination of this is that students host a Canadian citizenship ceremony to personally welcome new Canadians into Canada.

Presenter: Catherine Schroeder, Teacher, MBCI

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-09: Library of Parliament Education Resources and the Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy

Learn about the Education Resources available from the Library of Parliament and applications in the classroom. Also learn about the Teacher's Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy (the best PD you will ever have!), and how to apply. This session is being presented by a former Teacher Advisory Committee member from Manitoba for the Teacher's Institute.

Presenter: Katherine Abra, Teacher, WSD

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-10: Protecting Democracy through Story

FULL - 2-11: The Impacts of Hydropower: A Manitoba Case Study

Ellen Cook will present on the historical and present impact of hydroelectric power in Northern Manitoba, and Derek Eidse will guide participants through a 1-2 week-long interdisciplinary unit of study he's developed in collaboration with Ellen and the Interfaith Council on Hydropower.

Presenters: Derek Eidse, Teacher, University of Winnipeg Collegiate; Ellen Cook, Elder & Former Teacher

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-12: How the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Overrides Democracy

FULL - 2-13: From Protest to Participation: Using Pride History to Teach Citizenship and Democracy

This session explores how Pride history can be used to teach democratic citizenship, critical thinking, and active participation. Educators will gain inclusive lesson ideas and strategies for fostering dialogue, highlighting protest as civic engagement, and examining how marginalized communities have shaped, and continue to shape, Canadian democracy.

Presenter: Jonathan Niemczak, Canadian Pride Historical Society

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-14: Curriculum and Citizenship: Navigating Change, Cultivating Hope

This session explores how Manitoba social studies, guided by the Framework for Learning and Mino-Pimatisiwin, can be re-visioned in response to growing challenges to democracy and citizenship, supporting teachers in navigating change and cultivating hope in complex times.

Presenter: Kevin Lopuck, Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-15: Canada in a Globalized World: What Students Should Know about Economic Imperialism

How does Canada benefit from an undemocratic global order? Through an examination of various resources and resource-producing countries, participants will learn how the products they use in their daily lives are enmeshed in a web of human rights violations. The presentation can be easily adapted to a classroom setting to explore the connection between resources and global citizenship.

Presenter: Owen Schalk, Author & Political Educator, Manitoba-Cub Solidarity Committee

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 2-16: Will the world be like this forever?: Supporting Climate Emotions in the Classroom

A 2023 Canadian study found nearly 4 in 5 young people feel the climate crisis impacts their mental health, with over 50% feeling sad, anxious, and powerless. This workshop aims to share curriculum and resources to support students' mental health, develop emotional-literacy, and address eco-anxiety.

Presenter: Scott Durling, Teacher, SOSD

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

Sessions - 12:40 PM-2:50 PM

FULL - E2-01: Most Endangered, Least Protected: Designing a Community Climate Action and History Project on the Tallgrass Prairie

This session shares how five middle school educators co-designed interdisciplinary projects that engaged students in planting Tallgrass Prairie gardens on neighbourhood properties. Learn how climate action, historical thinking, and community- and place-based learning were integrated to support student inquiry, curricular goals, and local environmental stewardship.

Presenters:Stephen Barkman, Teacher, SOSD; Leah Spicer,Teacher, SOSD; Sabrina Ferraz,Teacher, SOSD; and Taras Melynchuk, Teacher, SOSD

Location: HC Avery Middle School, 10 Marigold Bay, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - E2-02: Walking and Learning in Nature

In this hands-on outdoor workshop, teachers will learn how to use the Walking Curriculum to make learning more engaging and connected to nature. We’ll try out simple walking activities that focus on things like noticing patterns, exploring textures, and imagining stories about the places around us. You’ll see how these walks can be used in subjects like science, English language arts, and social studies. The workshop will show you how to help students use their senses, think creatively, and build a stronger connection to the environment. You will leave with ready-to-use ideas and the confidence to bring this approach to your own classroom.

Presenter: Kimberly Hartikainen, Teacher, Chief Peguis Middle School, RETSD

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

Sessions - 1:55 PM-2:50 PM

FULL - 3-01: Structured Reading Approaches for Political Speeches to Support Critical Literacy and Higher Order Thinking

In this session, I will review how to construct structured reading approaches to support students in reading and analyzing Hansards in ways that promote comprehension, higher-order thinking and critical literacy, and cross-curricular literacy education in social studies education. The process of examining Hansards highlights the role of debates in the democratic process and the importance of dialogue and deliberation to citizenship and democracy more broadly.

Presenter: Farra Yasin, Assistant Professor, University of Winnipeg. Faculty of Education

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 3-02: The Justice Hunter

The session will feature a screening of the documentary The Justice Hunter, followed by a discussion on the pressing human rights issues explored in the film. The Justice Hunter highlights the remarkable work of David Matas in defending refugees,exposing the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, and combating antisemitism. The film also serves as a call to action, inspiring viewers to engage in the ongoing
fight for human rights. The documentary was produced by Yolanda Papini-Pollock, with Dr. Maria Cheung serving as a consultant.

Presenters: Yolanda Papini-Pollock, Former teacher, SOSD; Dr. Maria Cheung, University of Manitoba Professor Emerita

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 3-03: Socratic Seminar: A Vehicle to Develop Dialogue, Discourse, and Deliberation

FULL - 3-04: Teaching Online Media Literacy in Social Studies

Online media literacy skills are necessary to protect democracy and exercise good citizenship. This session will focus on how to teach these skills to students in the social studies classroom, including identifying disinformation, recognizing types of disinformation, and thinking critically about what they see online.

Presenter: Ellen Bees, Teacher, SJASD

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 3-05: Enhancing Civics through Humanitarian Education

Help your students think critically about the wars they are witnessing around the world.Armed conflicts around the world continue to draw the attention of many concerned Canadians. Without the tools or outlets for proper reflection, many of us, students included, feel somewhat ineffective and despondent. Tackling global issues through the lens of Humanitarian Education and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) can help students understand states’ responsibilities to protect civilians in times of armed conflict.

Presenter: Karyn Stone, Humanitarian Education Specialist, Canadian Red Cross

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 3-06: Model Parliament in the Classroom

Model Parliament is a hands-on learning activity aimed at increasing student understanding of our democratic system of governance.
This session will explain how to organize and run a Model Parliament session within the social studies classroom, providing teachers with the information needed to set up and run their own model Parliament sessions with their students.

Presenter: Michael Zwaagstra, Vice Principal, Hanover School Division

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 3-07: From Protest to Participation: Using Pride History to Teach Citizenship and Democracy

FULL - 3-08: Curriculum and Citizenship: Navigating Change, Cultivating Hope

FULL - 3-09: Democracy Fun & Games

FULL - 3-10: Canada in a Globalized World: What Students Should Know about Economic Imperialism

FULL - 3-12: Conservation in the Classroom

FULL - 3-13: You are the Economy: Engaging in Citizenship through Economic Concepts

FULL - 3-14: Hosting a Citizenship Ceremony and Teaching about Immigration

FULL - 3-15: Empowering Youth through Climate Citizenship

Discover practical strategies to engage students in meaningful climate education and action. This interactive workshop explores how to inspire climate citizenship through youth-led action, community connections, and accessible teacher resources. Teachers will leave with ready-to-use activities, project ideas for the classroom or community, and a renewed sense of how to foster agency and hope in their classroom.

Presenter: Susan Lindsay, Climate Change Connection

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB

FULL - 3-16: The Art of Controversy: Classroom Practices that Build Perspective-Getting Mindsets

Our session begins with theory from philosophy and psychology on how we engage in dispute. By canvassing different dialectic approaches we differentiate between forms of dialogue citizens can engage in. We will argue for the benefits of perspective-giving skills in society and provide practical classroom examples for perspective-giving, focusing on pedagogies that strengthen and develop communication, problem solving, relating, critical thinking, and perspective-taking/giving skills.

Presenters: Heather Krepski, University of Winnipeg; Mike Link, University of Winnipeg

Location: Chief Peguis Middle School, 1400 Rothesay Street, Winnipeg, MB